I usually just make my GF blueberry muffins but wanted to switch it up this morning so thought I would try an apple cinnamon version since I had a lot of Macintosh apples sittin’ around and I’m glad I did, they were a hit!

November 14th- I am hosting a Salad’s Class at my place at 7:30pm. We will be making 3 different salads and you will also be learning 3 new homemade salad dressings so you will never buy bottled dressing again!

December 12th- I will be hosting a Soups Class at my place at 7:30pm. You will be learning how to make 3 different nutritious soups to warm you are your family up this winter!

One of my favourite desserts is a yummy apple crisp, especially in the fall. I added some pear in for some versatility and sweetness.

Apple Pear Crisp

10 apples (I like to use gala)

3 Ripe Pears

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Sprinkle of coconut sugar

Topping:

2 cups GF oats

1/2 cup Cloud 9 flour (or your fav flour)

1/4 cup chia

1/4 cup unsweetened fine coconut

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp honey

One of the only reasons I make apple crisp all the time is because I have an apple corer slicer that is amazing and makes it so quick and easy.

Preheat you oven to 350F

Slice and peel your apples and pears. Place them in a bowl and toss them with the 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and a sprinkle of coconut sugar, then evenly distribute them in a 9×13 pan.

Combine the rest of the ingredients, if you like a lot of topping then you might want to double the recipe. Sprinkle the topping over the apple and pear mixture. Cover with tinfoil and place in oven for 40-45 mins or until apples are soft. Remove tinfoil and cook for another 10-15 mins or until topping starts to brown.

I was looking all over for a good gluten free pumpkin pie recipe and my first one was absolutely awful!! So I was happy when my second one turned out great so I didn’t have to throw anymore pumpkin pie out! I found the recipe on ohsheglows.com. I was trying to find a gluten free crust that wasn’t just a bunch of GF flours mixed with a binder, and I was hoping for a vegan filling as well and her pie had both. I changed the recipe slightly, and served with coconut cream!

The Crust:

1 cup GF oat flour ( I just took 1 cup of GF oats and put blended them in my Blendtec until it was a fine flour)

2 cups raw pecans

2 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp ground flax

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 cup honey

1 tbsp coconut oil, melted

The Filling:

2 & 1/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1/4 cup almond milk

1 tbsp coconut oil, softened

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

3 tbsp arrowroot powder

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

pinch of ground cloves

For the Crust

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a food processor, add 2 cups pecans and process until it starts to clump and oils start to release (It took about 50 sec in my processor). You should be able to make a ball with the pecan dough

Melt the coconut oil with the honey on the stovetop. Stir. Transfer pecan mixture into a large bowl and mix with the rest of the ingredients. Using your hands, squeeze the dough over and over to combine very well. You should be able to form a ball with it. If it’s too dry add a bit more oil.

Spoon the pecan dough onto a greasedpie dish and smooth out evenly. Press down firmly with fingers to form a crust, bringing it up along the sides. Press as firmly as you can. Prick base with fork 12-13 times. Prebake at 350F for 9-12 minutes, watching closely so it doesn’t burn. Remove and cool for 10 mins.

For The Filling

In a large bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and arrowroot powder (or cornstarch). Now add all ingredients and whisk together, adjusting spices to taste. Add more sweetener if desired.

To Bake

Scoop the filling into crust and smooth. Cover crust with crust shield (or tin foil). Bake for 50-55 minutes at 350F. Place on cooling rack for 1 hour. Transfer to fridge to set for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight. (this step is very important!) Do not slice pie until it has set in the fridge for 3 hours minimum.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie! was last modified: October 11th, 2013 by Estelle

A few years ago I read the book “Breakthrough-Eight Steps to Wellness” by Suzanne Somers and in it she has a conversation with a doctor about bladder infections and that is when I learned about D-Mannose! It is a safe, simple sugar that comes from plants such as cranberries, currants, gooseberries, soybeans and cayenne pepper. Why does it work? Over 90% of Bladder infections are caused by the bacterium E.coli. Which is in everyones colon but when the E.coli strays and ends up where it shouldn’t be, such as the bladder, it causes an infection. E.coli happens to love the simple sugar D-mannose. So what you want to do is take about 1 teaspoon of D-mannose powder with a bit of water and because your body metabolizes very little of the sugar, most of it will get flushed out into your kidneys and bladder. Then the E.coli with stick to all the D-mannose coming into the bladder and just get flushed out the next time you have to go to the washroom!

He told a story about a 4 year old girl that had seen 74 doctors and was going to need a kidney transplant by the age of 7 because her kidneys were starting to fail from all the infections. She had been on so many antibiotics that she had become allergic to most of them. All of her infections were caused by the bacteria E.coli. Her mom put her on the D-mannose right away and she stayed on it until she was 10 and only had one bladder infection and was able to keep her kidneys.

Remember- Take 1 tsp of D-Mannose with water every 3-4 hours while awake. If symptoms don’t improve in 24 hrs see your doctor.

Get Rid of Bladder Infections Naturally! was last modified: October 3rd, 2013 by Estelle

Sodium chloride contains none of the common and valuable qualities of natural pure crystal salt.

Removal of magnesium, potassium, calcium, and other essential trace elements and minerals makes assimilation by the body impossible.

The body’s immune system identifies this unnatural substance as an aggressive cellular poison and works to eliminate this foreign body.

Edema, or water retention, occurs in our cells, which, along with a build-up of non-degradable proteins, forms uric acid, a compound the body cannot eliminate.

Non-assimilated proteins end up in our bones and joints causing rheumatoid complications, painful gall bladder and kidney stones, and problems with the heart and circulatory systems that lead to high blood pressure

Over 90 percent of the worldwide salt production is created for industrial use. The remainder of this chemically altered product found in most of the foods sold in our grocery stores.

The unnecessary addition of iodine and fluoride contribute to a production of harmful nitrates, substances which have been shown to accelerate various forms of cancer.

This may be especially difficult during the summer months when we are on the road a lot. In these situations just focus on making the best choice. For example if you stop at Wendy’s on your road trip then order a salad and a baked potato (minus the bacon bits). Making the changes takes time and practice so don’t be hard on yourself, with the desire you will get there.

When you are home from your travels make an effort to make your meals from scratch and try not to use packaged fast foods.